Nezumi and Sasuke
by Lizzy Lee
Summary: Nezumi Uchiha, older sister of Sasuke, younger sister of Itachi, is sent to the Hidden Leaf Village for one purpose: to kill Sasuke.
1. Running Into Sasuke

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I do own Nezumi Uchiha, I made her up.

* * *

**NEZUMI UCHIHA**

_It's very simple, sister. You take this kunai and stab it into your brother's heart_, he had said to me. Who said it? Itachi. Who was I to kill? Sasuke.

I think of this, and the whole reason of my travels, as I wander around the village hidden in the leaves. I have yet to find anyone who knows where the last Uchiha living in the Hidden Leaf Village is. I think of giving up as I try one last time to ask someone for help. She has long blonde hair, pulled up into a ponytail, and bangs on one side of her head, hanging lower than her face. Her eyes are a solid sky blue. Her outfit is purple and white, and she has her head protector tied around her waste. She is definitely a hidden leaf ninja.

"Hello," I say to her, my voice monotone. She instantly gazes up at me, with curious eyes.

"Oh, hey." She looks me over from head to toe. "Who are you?" she asks slowly.

"Nezumi. I'm looking for someone. Ink colored hair. Coal colored eyes. Black outfit, red and white fan symbol on his back. Name-"

"Sasuke!" she cries almost too happily. I take a step back. She regains herself, and studies me again. "You match that _entire_ description... Why are you looking for him?" she asks, cautious and stand-offish.

I smile carefully, and plan what I am going to say. "I grew up with him, family friend. I just want to know if he's okay. I left a few months before the assassination, and I thought I'd check up on him, to see if he's okay and all..."

Her eyes tighten, and I can feel her anger. "Sasuke is fine," she nearly growled. Over-protective, are we? I think. This is going to be harder than I thought.

"He is? Good. Can I see him?"

I see the gears clicking in her head, and I can tell she doesn't trust me. I can see it in her eyes. She sighs, though I know it is fake. "Sorry, I don't know where he is."

"I see. Well, I shall keep looking, then."

Damn you, brother, I think with Itachi in mind. Maybe it is fate that I cannot find him. Maybe I shouldn't kill him. If I do, then I'd be exactly like Itachi. Did I want that? Well, why not? He is my older brother. He's taken care of me since... Since _he_ killed our family. Our clan. He wouldn't need to be the father figure I look up to if he didn't kill the biological father I once admired.

Why do I want to kill Sasuke? Because I want to make Itachi proud. Being younger than him, I want to be like him. But being older than Sasuke makes me feel the need to dominate him. Although Sasuke lived in Itachi's shadow, I always lived in Sasuke's shadow. I am a year older than Sasuke, but he was always better than me, or so he thought. Now that I've been trained by Itachi, I believe have surpassed Sasuke's skills. And this would be my chance to prove it.

To Sasuke, Itachi had killed me along with Mother and Father. After they were slain, I hid under them, pretending to be dead, afraid of the attacker. It wasn't until I saw that it was Itachi that I lost my fear. I followed him, and, after he acknowledged me, and questioned him. He could have killed me, but apparently he had a better plan in mind as he grabbed me and took me away from the Hidden Leaf Village with him.

As I think of my younger brother, I wonder why Itachi never wanted to take him in as he did me, which makes me wonder why Sasuke hates him so. Perhaps it is because after Itachi killed our clan, Sasuke instantly developed a deep hatred for him, while I followed him with great pride that my own brother could single-handedly kill an entire clan. But, again, I think of Sasuke and his point of view on the entire attack. Itachi, our own brother, killed our family. Our beloved parents. And the fact he did it without caring proved he was as cold as ice. Why should someone so heartless be seen as an idol? Sasuke had everything taken from him in one day, and it can all be blamed on his brother. Why wouldn't Sasuke hate Itachi? Why would I love him. That, there, is the thing I am trying to figure out.

If I kill Sasuke, I will be no better than Itachi. Although it will prove my strength against my younger brother, it proves the weakness of my heart. If I kill him, I will finally be accepted by my older brother, a golden feeling. If I don't kill him, I'll be on the run forever, for I will surely be Itachi's next target after he kills Sasuke himself. If I think I can solve this by just killing Itachi, I am sadly mistaken. Killing my own brother is what Itachi wants me to do to become like him. Even killing him would prove the coldness in my heart.

I do not realize I am kneeling on the ground, my hands curled into fists slammed into the dirt, until I hear the blonde's voice behind me. "Uh... Nezumi... Are you okay?"

I look up, gaze over my shoulder, and see her looking down at me. Angry with myself for letting my feminine emotions cause this breakdown, I shoot up. "Yes." My expression has changed from pain and fear into nothing, my tone monotone to match.

She shrugs. "Liar. So, what are the tears for?"

I didn't realize I was even crying. I bring my hand to my face, swipe my fingers across my cheek, and feel the dampness. Stupid fool! I think to myself. How could I let it get this out of control? What is wrong with me? All I've wanted in life was to make Itachi proud of me, and to prove I am better than Sasuke. This is the one and only chance to accomplish both, and here I am, tearing up, breaking down, and having second thoughts?

"I... was just remembering when I heard the news of Sasuke's brother. I... I need to see him, I love him..." It bothers me that the last statement could be true. It angers me.

This, too angers her. "You can't love him! Sasuke is mine!"

Almost afraid of the blonde, I back up. I can find him without her, definitely. I turn around and leave her. "Whatever," I mutter. As I walk, my mind wanders, and thinks of ways to kill the blonde. Appear behind her with a kunai, slice her throat. Hide up in a tree, and throw numerous shurikens at her. Attack her head on, giving her multiple cuts and watch her bleed to death. Hang her by her hands from a tree, and aim for her heart, throwing shurikens and the occasional kunai.

I realize, when I walk into someone I somehow did not see, how cold I am, and how this is not something to brag about. I look up quickly, not expecting the sudden block in my path, and see him. Dark midnight hair, coal black eyes, expressionless face. The black outfit with shorts and short sleeves. I nearly gasp, but I do not let my emotions get the best of me once again. His expression does not change; it doesn't need to. I can tell he is stunned, shocked, terrified.

"Ne...zumi?" he whispers to himself, though I feel he is asking if it could possibly be true.

I know what is going through his mind. "He never got to me. I hid, Sasuke..." He takes a step back, almost waiting for Itachi to come out of me and attack him. "Sasuke, it's only me. I-" I try to say I won't hurt him, but images of me killing him flash into my mind. Again, I find myself thinking of ways to kill him, similar to how I'd kill the blonde. It's amazing how clearly I can see this very moment changing as I bring out my kunai and insert it into his chest, into his heart.

We both stand there, not able to move or say anything more, until I hear that blonde again behind me. "Sasuke, who is she?" He finally looks at her, with the same look on his face. He looks as if he is trying to plan out a response, and she seems to notice it, too. "Sasuke, are you okay?" she asks, impatient with him. I am impatient with her.

He simple turns around. I wish I knew what was going on in his mind. He starts walking in the opposite direction he was originally heading. I glare at the blonde, and wish I knew a name to address her with, to tell her to get the hell away from us. I walk up next to Sasuke, and I know she is right behind me. Of course, I think.

"Not now," he quietly says, though I don't know if he meant it towards her or me. She looks at me as if she expects me to go. I'm not leaving my brother, you get lost, I almost want to tell her. Sasuke stopped walking after speaking, and now, neither the blonde or I decide to move. Why should I? "Ino," he whispers quietly.

She snickers at me silently, and walks to his side. "Yes, Sasuke?" she asks smugly. He looks at her with a painful expression. It makes me weak in the knees, and she throws her arms around him. "Come one, just forget her," she whispers into his ear. Not likely, Blondie, I think.

He leans out of the hug, and I can see it hurts her. I hide my smile. Avoiding her gaze, he walks past her and towards me. He sets his hand briefly on my arm and I follow him as he walks away from Ino. I can hear her gasp, though I am not facing her to see her expression.

We continue to walk away from the village, into the forest. All the while, I am thinking of ways to end the life of the boy walking beside me. It would be so easy to slip that kunai into his heart. Would he be expecting it? That leads me into another question: does he know why I'm here? Where I've been all this time? That I've been with Itachi?

Suddenly, he speaks, and it brings me back to reality. "You've been with him, haven't you?" It is almost like he's been reading my thoughts. I shoot a worried glance at him. "I've heard rumors."

Again, I feel like collapsing. How did he know? "Sasuke..."

"If you decide to attack me right now, it won't solve anything." It suddenly makes sense to me. If I kill Sasuke, I'll be what Itachi wants me to be. If I fail, then it would mean Sasuke would have killed me, and still Itachi wins. If I don't kill Sasuke, Itachi would just have to kill us both, which wouldn't bother him. If we kill him, he'd still win... "It'll never end," he whispers. Are we thinking the same thing or does he just know what I would be thinking in this situation?

Feeling as though I can't take another minute next to him without breaking down again, I run. I do not stop until I am completely out of breath, and even then, I still continue walking. I can't imagine he'd follow me, so I finally convince myself to sit down. I slide up against the trunk of a tree, panting. Why is this so difficult? I've wanted nothing but to finish what Itachi started. Proving my strength was a dream. Sasuke was the only one who could prove that to me, with his death. He disowned Itachi, acted as if they shared only a last name, not a family, blood, the sharingan. Killing him should be easy; it will be easy. Ready to finally prove myself, I stood back up, and headed to where I left my younger brother. After walking an hour, I finally found him walking in the same direction I left him, at the same speed.

Neither of us stopped walking until there was an arm's length between us. Before I had a chance to move a muscle, he had his kunai in one hand, and three shurikens in the other. "I won't hold back," he warns me.

Instantly after he speaks, I, too, have my weapons in my hand. I suppose from a distance, it would look slightly like a mirror image. My bangs are similar to how Sasuke had them when he was young, but the back of my hair goes down to my back. Sasuke and I are the exact height, and wear similar outfits. I wear a short black dress with tight dark blue shorts under, with the Uchiha fan on the back. The collar of my dress fits more to my neck than Sasuke's.

Only seconds have passed since my brother and I drew our weapons, and neither of us move. It is now that I choose to glance at his eyes, afraid of what I expect to find. As I thought, his eyes were red with the sharingan. I have mastered the technique with the help of Itachi, though I don't think I'll have enough time to activate it. As soon as I let my guard down for even a fraction of a second, I believe Sasuke will take advantage of it. Instead, I try to reason with him.

"Sasuke, if you kill me-" I start slowly, though before I could finish my sentence, he leaps backwards, throwing his shurikens at me as he jumps. I, too, throw myself backwards, dodging the shurikens, and throwing my own. Of course, he dodges them. "Listen to me, damn it!" I cry as I lunge myself at him. Somehow, I manage to tackle him; I guess that he is letting me have a moment. "If you kill me you'll be just like him!" I rush, making sure he lets me finish my sentence this time.

He doesn't move. I kneel on his chest, my right hand drew back, the kunai I grasp aimed at his heart. My left hand pushes down on his right shoulder. He looks directly at me, though I can tell he is essentially looking through me. It is the same with Itachi's gaze.


	2. Revealing Nezumi

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I do own Nezumi Uchiha, I made her up.

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**SAKURA HARUNO**

"Sakura!" Ino cries as she bursts into the ramen shop and rushes next to us. "Something's wrong with Sasuke!" I am shocked she'd even care to tell me at first, but then I realize it must be serious, something she can't handle on her own.

"What?" I ask her, suddenly worried, as she sits down next to me.

"I was walking when I run into this new girl, and she demands to see Sasuke. Says her name is Nezumi. And she looks exactly like him, with long black hair, black eyes, and a black dress with the Uchiha symbol on the back. When I see her again, she's talking to Sasuke, and they leave. She says she loved him and was a family friend or something."

I hear Naruto laugh as my heart begins racing. Does Sasuke love her? Or is she as hopeless as Ino? "Where are they now?" I ask as I jab my elbow into Naruto.

"I don't know. They were heading towards the forest," Ino answers, depressed, as Naruto rubs his chest. I can his muttered complaints under Ino's voice. "I would have followed him, but he made it clear I should stay. I... have a funny feeling about her, Sakura. I think we should follow them."

I look at Naruto. "Come on, Naruto," I say, standing up.

"But my ramen-" he begins to cry.

"I don't care! Come on!" I scream at him. Quietly, but obediently, he stands. I pay for our ramen quickly and rush out. Running, Ino takes us to where she last saw the two, and leads us in the direction they walked in. After an hour of running, we decide to stop for a moment. "Are you sure this is where they were heading?"

"I don't know. This is where they would have gone if they walked-"

"Shh," I quickly say, cutting Ino off. I hear something, someone yelling. Something about being just like him is what I hear. I know Ino's heard it, for we are both looking in the direction it came from. My heart begins to race. "You think that's them?" I whisper.

"What are we listening to?" Naruto loudly whispers, and I slap him on the back of the head. "Oww," he cries.

"Shut up, Naruto," I breathe, silently walking towards the voice.

"I... I don't know what I am going to do..." I hear the quiet, distant voice say, and I stop. I look over my shoulder and see Ino and Naruto listening intently, too. A moment of silence goes by, and I hear the voice again. "I... I hid under Mother and Father. After things were quiet, I snuck out of the house and saw him talking to you... I followed him as he fled from the village, and when he finally noticed me, or acknowledged me, he grabbed me and took me with him." There is another pause until the voice speaks again. "I... adore him, Sasuke... He is my older brother. I sure as hell wasn't staying back here. Everyone hates Itachi, and loves you. I can't stand it..." Another pause. "I think you know why." The pause this time last a few seconds longer than the rest. "The same reason he killed our clan in the first place. To prove my strength."

The voice has stopped all together. I take a few steps forward, but can't hear anymore of the conversation. I assume it's ended. The girl has to be his sister, but is she older or younger? She must speak louder than Sasuke, because I couldn't hear him at all, and I just barely heard her. I look to Ino, and see her face is full of fear. "She can't..." she breathes.

Not caring how much noise I make, I slide against a tree, and watch as Ino does the same. Naruto sits between us, cross-legged, and crosses his arms. "So what are you going to do?" he asks, his voice at his normal volume.

I open my mouth to scold Naruto, but I hear Sasuke's voice say, "Nothing." I look up and see him standing behind Naruto, looking at the ground past us. "Don't worry about this, I'll handle it." He looks quickly at me, and in the brief second our eyes connect, I notice the sharingan is activated. He then looks at Ino, and turns around. "Go home," he says, his voice monotone, and jumps. After he disappears, Ino and I stare at each other, not sure of what to say.

I watch, numb, as Naruto stands. "Well, I'm going to go finish my ramen."

"What? How can you?" I cry at the same time Ino says, "At a time like this?"

He looks at us. "Well, you heard him. Besides, if the girl can talk to him calmly the way she did, I doubt she'd be able to kill him. She's probably not as cold as Itachi is," he explains calmly. He thinks he knows it all, doesn't he? "And even if she did decide to attack him, I'm sure he'd be strong enough to take her on. How tough can she be?"

"She was trained by Itachi! Do you even understand how strong he is? How strong Sasuke is? She's not going to be weak!" I yell at him.

"You're underestimating Sasuke! He's strong enough to handle them both!" Ino yells at both Naruto and me. I look down, unsure of how true that statement is. If he can't defeat Itachi, there's be no way he could defeat his sister, and no one knows if he's strong enough to kill Itachi... I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs.

Ino must realize this, too, for I hear her sigh. "You're probably right, Sakura," I hear her whisper. I look up and see that Naruto has left. I must have been so deep in thought I didn't even hear him leave.

"I don't want to be," I whisper back. "Where do you think they went?"

"Probably some place where we'd never think to follow them. Maybe he ran from her 'cause she attacked him."

"Do you think she could?" I ask. Whether I mean if she has the ability to, or the lack of heart, I'm not sure. I don't think it matters.

"I want to believe no..." I nod in agreement. "Do you think we should tell someone?" she suddenly asks, her voice sounding alert.

"Who?" I ponder that for a moment, and suddenly, we both say, "Kakashi."

We bolt up and run towards the village, looking all the while for any sign of Nezumi and Sasuke. Once in town, we begin looking for Kakashi. We finally run into him, though we are out of breath. "Sakura, Ino. Is everything okay?" he asks calmly, typical of my sensei.

After a quick moment of recovery, we answer him. "Sasuke's sister is here-" I begin.

"She's been with Itachi all this time-" Ino continues.

"Now she's here to kill him-"

"We followed them and listened to them talk-"

"And Sasuke told us not to worry-"

"But now they are gone," she finishes as I say, "And they left."

I suppose we talked to fast when Kakashi simply sighs. "So Sasuke has a sister who's been hiding out with Itachi. You followed them, and over heard them talking? And then Sasuke found you, told you not to worry about him, and now they've disappeared again, so you came running to me thinking I'd stop the girl, right?" All the while, both Ino and I are nodding. He sighs again.

"Well, Kakashi-sensei, we didn't know what to do, and you know Sasuke better than the other adults," I say to him.

"You've got to do something, unlike Naruto!' Ino cries.

"So Naruto was with you? I must have missed that during your babbling," he comments sarcastically. "You think Sasuke is in serious trouble?" he asks us, his tone slightly more serious.

"Sensei, she's been trained by Itachi. I don't think Sasuke is weak, but I don't think she is, either..."

"She sounded pretty serious. Apparently she wants to prove her strength, just as Itachi did. If he went through with it..." Ino adds, but her voice trails off at the end. He seems to agree with us, for he asks us to take him to where we were when Sasuke spoke with us.


	3. The Mangekyou Sharingan

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I do own Nezumi Uchiha, I made her up.

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**NEZUMI UCHIHA**

I pull myself off of my brother and rest against a tree, pulling my knees close to my chest. "I... I don't know what I am going to do..." I say, my voice full of pain and fear.

"How... did you escape?" Sasuke asks me quietly, his voice surprisingly monotone.

"I... hid under Mother and Father. After things were quiet, I snuck out of the hose and saw him talking to you... I followed him as he fled from the village, and when he finally noticed me, or acknowledged me, he grabbed me and took me with him."

"Why?" he asks, and I hear a slight change in his tone. There is more pain now.

"I... adore him, Sasuke." I pause a moment, trying to keep myself under control. "He is my older brother. I sure as hell wasn't staying back here. Everyone hates Itachi, and loves you. I can't stand it..." I can feel the jealousy hit me. I brush it off, though nearly failing.

"Why'd you come back?" The pain is gone from his voice.

"I think you know why."

"I know why you were sent. Why'd you come?"

His question bothers me. I still answer it, though I wait a second to keep myself together. "The same reason he killed our clan in the first place. To prove my strength."

His questions end, and we both sit in silence. Suddenly, he jerks up. At first, I think he is going to attack me, so I put my guard up, but then I hear someone rustle among the leaves, then another. Before I have a chance to move, he has his hands positioned to perform a jutsu. I watch as he disappears, a cloud of smoke in his place.

"So what are you going to do?" I hear a male voice ask. He is far enough that I wouldn't hear him whisper, but close enough that he probably heard us talking...

"Nothing," I hear Sasuke reply. Was the original question directed towards him or another person? The blonde flashes in my memory. Is she with him? "Don't worry about this, I'll handle it." There is a pause before Sasuke talks again. "Go home," he finally says. It bothers me, not knowing who's there.

Suddenly, Sasuke appears back at my side. "Who-?" I begin to whisper, careful not to let the male hear me, but he cuts me off. He grabs me, his hand grasped tightly around my arm, and runs away from the current spot. I can break free if I try, but the pain isn't enough to hurt me yet, and I simply don't feel the need to struggle.

It isn't until we've been running for about ten minutes that I begin to struggle. He lets go and turns around so instantly I nearly run into him. He puts his hands on my shoulder to prevent this. "Who were they?"

"Doesn't matter," he answers, dropping his hands. "You need to make up your mind. Either attack me, or leave. Now." I can tell by the sound of his voice that he'd rather kill me now than let me leave this village unharmed.

"I... I'm not leaving." I say firmly. I activate my sharingan, and pull out the kunai I am to puncture his heart with. "It's now, or never, little brother."

Instantly, he jumps into a tree, and not even a second later, more shurikens are flying towards me. I jump back a couple times, dodging them. I throw myself as close to the ground as I can, dodging Sasuke's Shadow Windmill Shuriken. I watch as it rapidly flies over my head and into the forest. I quickly roll onto my side, again dodging one of Sasuke's attacks. He is holding back, I can tell. Is he hoping I'll just run away, not being to complete my mission?

I quickly get on my feet, just as I hear him say his next jutsu, almost too fast to understand. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." I jump as high as I can, throwing myself onto a branch of the tree behind me, dodging the attack. I feel the heat from the jutsu, and realize Sasuke is much stronger than I thought. Then I remember he is an Uchiha.

I step off the branch and land on the ground right beside Sasuke. As quickly as I can, I perform the needed hand signs for the Mangekyou Sharingan. I seem to take Sasuke by surprise as pain fills his eyes. I know he saw what I was doing, and knew what was coming, but I still manage to enter his mind with the jutsu. Using the same scenario Itachi did when he was attacking Kakashi, I make Sasuke feel as if he's been stabbed with katanas for twenty-four hours in a mere second. He is unable to escape the pain, and I grin. I hope, that if I stay in his mind for just a few more seconds, it will kill him.


	4. Getting Safe

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I do own Nezumi Uchiha, I made her up.

* * *

**SAKURA HARUNO**

Before we head to where Sasuke confronted us, we quickly stop at Kakashi's home to pick up headsets. He hands one to each of us, and positions his own. "We're going to have to split up." We both nod, understanding his plan. We are then on our way to the forest, to the location we last saw Sasuke.

An hour later, we arrive. "I was standing right here," I explain, showing Kakashi my position. "I could hear them this way."

He nods. He stands so that on his right is where we heard Sasuke and Nezumi. "Then I'll go that way. It's more likely they ran this way after confronting you. Ino, you go the opposite way." He lifts his left arm. "Sakura, you head straight." I turn around and face my assigned direction as he lifts his right arm and points it straight ahead of him.

Seconds after we depart, I begin to tremble. Kakashi is heading in the direction they were originally. Ino is going the opposite direction, and I am going the way opposite the village. What if I am the one to run into Nezumi and Sasuke? What could I do? There's no way I'm strong enough to attack her. But, with Sasuke on my team, maybe we can, together, fend her off?

Regardless of my thoughts, I still hope Kakashi finds them. I almost think about running slower, so I will be able to run to where Kakashi is quicker, but then I realize he might not find them. I pick up my speed, desperately looking for any sign of Sasuke.

After about five minutes of running, I hear Kakashi curse. Apparently these things pick up anything you say. "I found them," he says quietly. I can just barely hear Ino sigh on her end. She must be as relieved as I am that Kakashi was right about their location.

I turn around and run back to my starting location. I then turn and run in the direction Kakashi went, hearing Ino run just a couple steps behind me. She increases her speed, then adjusts her pace so we run side by side. Through my headset, I hear someone's drop to the ground. I quickly glance at Ino and see the device still in her ear, and assume it was Kakashi who either dropped his or threw it to the ground.

Minutes later, I hear Sasuke scream in pain as it travels through the forest. "Sasuke!" Ino and I cry. I suddenly find myself running faster, trying to get to Sasuke to end his pain. Ino manages to run past me, and again I find myself increasing my pace to make it to Sasuke before she does. It seems foolish that now we choose to make it a race, when his life is at stake.

When we finally reach Sasuke, he is curled up on the ground, unmoving. I see Kakashi has his left eye exposed, the sharingan in use. Nezumi has hers activated, too. "Stay back," Kakashi manages to say between attacks from his opponent. I don't know what else to do besides listen to him. Instantly, Sasuke comes to mind.

Ino and I rush over to his side. I can't tell if he's breathing in the way he's positioned. Careful not to hurt him, Ino and I roll him onto his back. His chest slightly rises and falls periodically, insinuating he is breathing, but not very well. Though this is not the first time I've seen Sasuke near death, it still tears my heart, knowing that it's too possible this will be the last time I see him.

I look up to Ino's face, and see her eyes are glossing over. I feel that my eyes, too, are tearing up. Ino is still staring down at Sasuke. "There are no wounds," she whispers, chocked up on hear tears. I look him over, and realize there is no blood, not a single wound or bruise. He appears unharmed, though he barely breaths. What did that girl do to him? I take his hand, and pray for the best, as Ino grabs his other hand and pulls it close to her. I then stop watching her and focus back on the unconscious Sasuke.

I come back to reality seconds later when I hear Kakashi screaming at us. "Get him... to a hospital," he says, struggling against Nezumi. My heart races, amazed she's strong enough to make Kakashi struggle this long against her. I then comprehend what he told us, to get Sasuke away from his cold-hearted sister.

Ino and I stare at each other, worried. We need to carry him, but neither of us knew where to hold him to be sure he won't be in pain. "Hurry," I hear Kakashi yell as we just sit there, staring at the seemingly lifeless body. Ino and I instantly stand, pulling Sasuke up with us. She carries his torso, while I hold up his legs. Together, we manage to walk him back to the village, though it takes us seemingly forever.

Once we are inside the village, we are stared at by many people. I'm not sure if we pass anyone I know personally because my mind is so focused on getting Sasuke to the hospital. I barely even notice Ino talking to Shikamaru, and even then, it takes me a few minutes into their conversation to acknowledge his company.

"What a drag, to find out your sister is alive, only to be killed by her," I hear Ino's teammate says apathetically. If she wasn't carrying Sasuke, I know she'd have hit him hard. When I look over to him, he is turning around to leave.

"You tell him everything?" I ask, wondering how much he was just told.

"You were here, didn't you listen?" she asks, slightly confused to my seemingly unnecessary question.

"I... wasn't paying attention, really..." I admit.

"That worried? Yeah, I barely even noticed he was next to me at first, too. You think he'll be fine-?"

I didn't even let her finish her word. "Of course! He's Sasuke Uchiha!" I exclaim. There's no way I doubt him. I've seen him go through things like this. He'll make it, he always has, always will. Ino goes silent, but I see her nod solemnly. She must feel the same pain I do, though neither of us will admit to our doubt.

Once we walk into the hospital, there is a rush of nurses at our side. Everything is happening so fast, I barely understand what is happening until I notice Sasuke is not in our arms anymore. A nurse takes him to get him placed under emergency care, and others follow after them to do whatever needs to be done. One nurse stays back to question us. We do the best we can to explain what we know, but try not to give too much away about Nezumi. She sighs, not really knowing anything that can help him.

"Can we go see him, now?" Ino asks.

"Not yet, I'm sorry. He's just been admitted, and I don't think they have everything all set up, yet," the nurse kindly replies.

"When they're done..." Ino tries, determined to see Sasuke.

"I don't think Sasuke is in any condition for visitors, dear," the nurse answers. "Listen, girls, why don't you come back tomorrow and see if he's better enough for visitors then?" she offers.

Accepting this, Ino turns and leaves. I follow her. I hear her sigh as she steps past the automatic sliding doors. "Now what, Sakura?" she asks, walking away from the hospital.

"Wait, I guess..." I answer, slightly depressed.

"Do you think we should go b-" she begins, but I cut her off.

"To her? Are you crazy, Ino? Kakashi-sensei was struggling against her, and you want to go back? She'll kill us!" I snap at her, though my anger is meant for our new enemy. She nods, seeming to realize I am right, though it's not something I am proud to be right about. "Sorry, Ino," I whisper after a few minutes of wandering around the village.

"About what?" she asks, turning her head to look at me.

"Snapping at you like that. I..."

She turns to look forward again. "Oh, don't worry about that," she says, smiling. "Why don't we go get some food? It didn't look like you were done with your lunch when I showed up."

"Sure," I say, knowing this was the best thing we could do right now. I realize I am a bit hungry, and follow Ino as she heads to Ichiraku Ramen.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I do own Nezumi Uchiha, I made her up.

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**NEZUMI UCHIHA**

This is getting ridiculous, I think. I've been fighting with Sasuke's sensei for about an hour or so now, and I let my target escape. I almost think about using the same jutsu on Kakashi that I used on Sasuke, but I don't know if I will have enough chakra or time to perform the jutsu. Instead, I keep blocking his attacks and throw in a few punches and jutsus here and there. Why is defeating Kakashi so difficult? I know Itachi had no problem, though I do realize he used the Mangekyou Sharingan to do so.

I finally realize this fight is going no where. I perform a substitution jutsu, removing myself from the fight. Instead of attacking him from another direction, as I did the last time I performed the jutsu, I flee. I don't quite consider it forfeiting, but instead redirecting my attacks. I plan on finding where they put Sasuke, and keep a watch on him. I know he'll be bedridden for a few days, and I assume he'll be staying in the hospital for this. I figure it will be best if I lay low for a day or two, and get him in the hospital when he's alone, though I have a slight feeling Blondie won't leave his side as long as he's in the hospital.

I think about heading to the hospital now to check for Sasuke, but I realize I must be well known in the village at this point. If I plan to stay in the Hidden Leaf Village and not have every ninja on my back to kill me, I must change my appearance. There's nothing I can do about my eye color, but I can change my hair. I don't think I need to mention how my clothes have to change.

Before I do any shopping, I need to collect my small sack I carried with me. I hid it high in a tree by the main gate before I started looking for Sasuke. I sneak over to the tree, climb it, and see my bag is still there. I grab it and jump down.

I realize I can't buy clothes from any store around here, and decide I need to hurry to a nearby village or town, or someplace with clothes for sale. I wander around the forest, looking for a well traveled path, and take it. It then occurs to me that it might not be a good idea to wear the Uchiha sign on my back on my way, just in case. I quickly stray back into the forest for a moment, and strip off my dress. I have a dark blue camisole and tight shorts on, but I know this is still too suspicious for the village hidden in the leaves. It'll work temporarily, though, until I get knew clothes. I stuff my dress as best I could into the small sack I carry, and take the kunai holster off my leg and stuff it next to my dress. My head protector has been in my sack since I left Itachi.

When the sun begins to set, I find myself approaching the gate entrance to the next village. It's not too big, but I manage to find a nice store with decent clothes. Using the little money I had managed to steal in the past, I buy a lavender dress. Though I hate it, not only for the color, but the cleavage it reveals, I use the bathroom to change in, leaving my camisole and shorts on. I thank the clerk for her help, and leave.

I wander around the village, searching for a hair salon. Finally finding one, I head inside. A small woman with brown hair and deep blue eyes walks up to me. "Can I help you, miss?" She smiles.

"Can you change the color of my hair?" I ask, my voice monotone.

She nods. "Absolutely. What color are you looking for?"

"Anything lighter. Blonde, light brown," I tell her, not changing my tone much. I realize I need to change my tone if I am to fool the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Well, we'll just add some bleach to it, and see how light it turns, alright?" she asks. I nod, and she leads me to a chair.

Once she is finished with the coloring, I can see the difference, even wet. It doesn't look normal to me, but she says it looks great. I suppose I am just too used to black. "Can you shorten it?" I ask, lightening my mood. She looks outside, and I realize it's getting pretty late. "If you don't have time, I understand. I can come back tomorrow," I offer.

"No, no, it's no problem at all," she replies, kindly. She takes strands of my hair at a time, and cuts it. After it all reaches my shoulders, she sets me facing the mirror. "Short enough?" she asks.

"Perfect, thanks," I answer.

She takes me up to the cash register, and I pay her for the cut and color. I notice, then, that I have nearly nothing left in my wallet. I smile, and leave, playing with the bangs above my eyes. This will take some getting used to.

I think about heading back to Konoha, but I realize I am exhausted, and decide to stay at an inn for the night. I find one, and walk into the office. I sigh, seeing the person standing behind the counter is a male slightly older than me, as he watches me enter. I think about turning and leaving, but decide against it. "Have any rooms free?" I ask, standing in front of the man.

He smiles, and I pray he isn't thinking teenaged boy thoughts. "My room..." he begins, but when my face doesn't change from its emotionless expression, he frowns. "It's a small one, but yeah," he says.

"I'll take it. How much?"

"We'll talk prices in the morning," he says, flashing a supposedly charming smile. He shows me to the room, and I walk in, quickly shutting the door behind me. I hear the man walk down the hall back to the desk, and I strip out of the dress. Tired, I slip under the covers of the nicely made bed, and close my eyes. Nearly instantly, I am asleep.

When I wake the next morning, I forget at first where I was. It all suddenly comes back to me, and I jolt out of bed. I quickly got dressed, grab my bag, and sneak out the window. Running, I find my way back to the entrance of the village, and begin my walk back to the village hidden in the leaves. It is then that I realize I should take my time. Walk really slow, pick flowers, climb trees, reflect on life. Yeah, right, I think. I decide I'll walk slow, and stop often.

It feels as though it's after noon by the time I arrive at the village. As I walk through the entrance to the village, I hear a male's voice I recognized. "Apparently she's real dangerous," he says. It is then I see that he is a blond, with three whiskers on each side of his face. Cat-obsessed? I think.

The brunette he walks next to looks at me. I see his eyes wander down, then back to my face. I smile, noticing the red marks on his face and the dog on his hood. "Who are you?" he asks.

I freeze, realizing I can't use my real name. I quickly remember the name on the tag the hair stylist wore, and use that as my own. "Mina." I widen my smile, trying to act as friendly as I can.

"Well, I'm Kiba, and-"

"I'm Naruto," the blond interrupts. I hear the puppy on Kiba's face whine. "So what are you doing at a place like this?" he asks.

Planning to attack your little buddy Sasuke, I think. "My older sister has disappeared, and I've been going from village to village looking for her," I tell him, using the most innocent and quiet voice I can fake.

Naruto's face suddenly looks concerned. "Oh, I'm sorry."

I look down. "It's okay. I have this strange feeling she turned against my family and I, anyways," I look back up to Naruto. "Do you think I could stay with you until tomorrow? It's kind of late, and I've been walking all day," I explain.

He shrugs. "Sure, I've got nothing better to do, I suppose."

Kiba then looks at him. "Sasuke?" he whispers into his ear. I hear the puppy whine again, and Kiba pets him. "Sorry about Akamaru," he says, looking at me. "I don't know what his problem is..."

"Oh, it's okay," I tell him.

Naruto ignores Akamaru and his owner.

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-- Story is not finished, but I am still working. I think I'm gonna have more than four chapters, as I was thinking before. This won't be the last, but I expect the sixth chapter to be it. I'm still planning things out. I plan kinda while I'm writing, not before. --


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